Top 10 Albums & Mixtapes of 2010

2010 was the year of hype albums. So many albums dropped last year that could have made my list, it was hard to narrow it down. 

Honorable Mention | Trill O.G. - Bun B is a legend. When I started to hear some of the earlier tracks dropped for this album... I was brought back to the UGK days right before Pimp C passed. As soon as I heard the album from front to back I thought to myself... Pimp C would be stoked, and Bun B definitely brought the trill. Not to mention the album featured so many talented artists, you would be damn stupid not to enjoy this. Go buy this album and see why Source Magazine gave this album a 5-mic rating (first time in 5 years). Keep it trill.

Honorable Mention | TSOL - Shad has been on my radar since the early days of 'When This Is Over'. Shortly before the TSOL announcement I thought to myself... where the eff is Shad. I was left wanting to hear more after 'The Old Prince', as soon as "Yaa I Get It" dropped; I thought to myself: 'Shad has done it again'. TSOL is everything you can expect from Shad on a more mature level. Go support this Canadian emcee and buy TSOL.

Honorable Mention | Teflon Don - Honestly Rick Ross isn't my favorite rapper, I'm not into the whole grunt style of rap. JJ (@nevernotgully) and myself recently discussed the whole Rick Ross style of rapping, he brought up the idea: Rick Ross knows how to match his beats with his voice; which is definitely true. Buy 'Teflon Don' and see why he is on the list. 

Honorable Mention | Distant Relatives - Three months ago, I finally started to listen to this unique mix of musical genres (hip hop and reggae). I was first introduced to the album by my friend, Asif; I was never to fond of it. Now that I have listened to the album from front to back, I suggest you to broaden your music preference and buy 'Distant Relatives'.

#10 Champ - I have always been a fan of Tokyo Police Club, the first song that sent me to buy there albums was 'Nature of the Experiment'. If you haven't heard any music from Tokyo Police Club, start with 'Champ' and work backwards; you will appreciate how far they have come in 4 years. If they keep making music like 'Champ', they are on the right path to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Support young Canadian music and buy 'Champ'.

#9 Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty - Big Boi stepped out of the shadows of Outkast and Andre 3000 with this album. This is going to be one of those albums you show your kids, 20 years from now. Seriously, if you haven't bought the album... Get with it.

#8 Brothers - This duo of sure brilliance was never introduced to me until 'Brothers' was released. It doesn't matter what kind of music you like, you are going to enjoy this album and every other album they released. I have been listening to The Black Keys discography for about 5 months now and I am not disappointed. The best thing to come out of Akron, Ohio other than Lebron James (before he let his entire state down by leaving Cleveland).

#7 O(verly) D(edicated) - Kendrick Lamar was first introduced to me in early 2010. He is one of the illest emcee's in the game right now. If this is a sign of better things to come, look out for Kendrick Lamar in 2011. Go download this mixtape.

#6 How I Got Over - When Aristo and myself were discussing our choices for 'Top 10 Albums & Mixtapes of 2010' it was a unanimous decision that this was one of the best of the year. When albums have such early drops (June) you expect something to surpass them or eventually you will forget about the album. Well, 'How I Got Over' was played almost every single day at work or at home and it is still played. If someone asked me in June of 2010 what I would choose as my #1... I would have probably said 'How I Got Over'. Find out why, go buy it.

#5 Killer Tape - Curt@!n$ was on a killin' spree in 2010. Taking beats and making his version better than the original (example: "God Bless"). A lot of people are going to think this doesn't deserve #5, but I am like Curt@!n$ (taking the typical list, and making it better).

#4 From The Westside With Love - If it wasn't for the guy below, this would be mixtape of the year. Dom Kennedy stepped up his beats, rhymes, and flow with this release. This is my most played in every category (album/mixtape and songs) on my itunes library. Find out why this is so good, download it for free.

#3 Friday Night Lights - Mixtape of the Year! J Cole killed every track on FNL. It's funny to think that, J Cole has put out 3 mixtapes for free and each has been better than some rappers albums *cough*Wale*cough*. If J Cole would have put this as his album I don't think anyone would have been disappointed. Can't wait to hear his debut album. Get away with robbery, download this masterpiece for free.

#2 Thank Me Later - After 'So Far Gone' blowing up all around the world and creating the hype for Drake, he was put in a stand still of focusing on delivering hype again with a debut studio album (Thank Me Later). Drake's poetic style and flow worked really well with 40's beats and direction. Thank Me Later won me over with tracks like: "Show Me A Good Time", "Up All Night", and "Unforgettable" (to name a few). Buy the album and find out why in the first week this album sold 447,000 albums in the US and reached platinum in Canada. You will thank me later (pun).

#1 My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - First thing that comes to mind is 'Wow!'. After the long hiatus from the media, Kanye West was back and getting ready for the album drop. With the introduction of G.O.O.D. Fridays it put every Kanye hater/lover/fan at a stand still. 'Hype' is a perfect word for the time between the start of G.O.O.D. Fridays and November 22nd 2010. And he lived up to the hype, and then some. Thoroughly impressed; the production, lyrics, delivery, and featuring's are all markable. Best use of creativity in any album I have ever heard. He renamed the genre of Hip Hop. Buy this album for yourself, your girlfriend, mother, father, sister, and your dog. Seriously.

Words by Brennan

Logos/Arrangement by Brennan

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Honorable Mention | Distant Relatives - Distant Relatives stands out in sound from Nas' other works due to the influence and production from Damian Marley. Distant Relatives deserves an honorable mention on my list of best albums of 2010 for it's unique blend of top-notch reggae and hip-hop.  

#10 The Lady Killer - The Lady Killer is incredibly funky and fresh. Why does Cee-Lo come in at number 10? Two words: Fuck You.

#9 Apollo Kids - Ghostface spitting over gritty rock influenced hip-hop? Yes please.

#8 Friday Night Lights - An instance where an artist delivers on the hype. If J Cole puts out music this good for free, I can't even imagine what his purchasable material sounds like. Download Friday Night Lights.

#7 Nineteen Ninety Now - Buckwild went back into his old computer files and brought back the 90's sound. Celph Titled never sounded so good. 

#6 Plastic Beach - The Gorillaz officially achieve a hat trick for making three excellent albums. Plastic Beach is in it's own genre: cartoon.

#5 Brothers - The first Black Keys album I've listened to, and I'm smitten. I don't even listen to that much rock, but I'll rock this shit any day.

#4 How I Got Over - One of the most underrated hip-hop groups of all time. Easily. Next time The Roots come to Saskatoon, I'm there. 

#3 Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty - Funkiest hip-hop album of the year goes to Big Boi. Thank you for bringing southern hip-hop back to life.

#2 The Arch Android (Suites II and III) - Janelle Monae's debut album is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. Unlike most female pop artists, Janelle can actually sing...AND rap. I've never heard music quite like this.

#1 My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - And the winner is... Kanye West once again re-defines the standard of what it takes to make a classic hip-hop album. 

*This is by no means a comprehensive list. I listened to 24 albums that released last year, and placed them in order of which albums I enjoyed the most.

Words by Aristo

Logos/Arrangement by Brennan

COMING SOON.

Fresh Off The Press | The Brothers of Chico Dusty Mixtape

For fans of both Big Boi and The Blacks Keys, do yourself a favor and download this mixtape. Wick-it mixes the vocals from Big Boi's Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty and music from The Black Keys' Brothers. I can't even choose a favorite song on the mixtape! It's that good. Honestly one of the best mixtapes I've ever heard, derived from two of my favorite albums that released this year. Stay tuned for ListenUp's top ten lists of 2010. Happy holidays and ListenUp!

Bring It Back | Sky High

DJ Benzi, Plain Pat & Kanye bring you some of the best remixes in this mixtape. I actually listened to this today at work, it brought back some good memories. Good music. Download it. 

Music Visual | My Days

I just heard about this super rad new 8 person rap/indie/rock group called "Kids These Days" about a week ago; My girl has some pretty good taste in music. I love the unique sound they are creating, Vic Mensa has a sick rap style. Peep the video below:

#Holla | Lusteg

We were featured on Ryan Lusteg's Blog... stoked! I was super surprised, honored and happy when I saw this. He is doing some amazing work, so you should check out his blog and flickr page.

Music Visual | God Bless

Curt@!n$ delivers once again, with this song over top of N.E.R.D track "God Bless Us All". Video is super rad; reminds me of 'Ye's "Good Life" video. Oh and expect to hear a great mixtape on Wednesday this week, as Curt@!n$ is releasing #Killa. Get hyped!:

Cut & Sewn | Maestro X Hall Of Fame

Levi Maestro has been killing it the last two years with his Maestro Knows project. Single handedly changed the idea of a blog/video series. Changing it for the better, while incorporating a bunch of genres (music, skateboarding, fashion, streetwear) into one big project all while documenting his life. His style, uniqueness and creativity can not be taught in a book or class room. Maestro is an artist in his own genre that noone can duplicate. 

His creativity can not only be used in a blog or video, but also in fashion and streetwear. He has released quite a few collaborations this year, with the likes of: Los Angeles jeweler Shayan Afshar, 13TH Witness,  and Yue Wu. Each having it's own hype and story behind the product. Recently, Maestro teamed up with Hall Of Fame to produce this sweatshirt: 

Maestro has always been a huge supporter of Hall Of Fame, supporting them as a shopper... as well as an occasional visit during a Maestro Knows episode. I love collaborations with a story behind the product and when they work flawlessly together. This sweater is that case, everything about it is cool and original. The front logo gives off a simplistic look to the piece, while the back tells the entire story "Making My Way To The Hall Of Fame". At the rate Levi Maestro is working and progressing... I wouldn't be surprised if they made a "Hall Of Fame" for him.

Photos by Ryan Lusteg. 

Fotography Fridays | Ricky Powell

Ricky Powell has changed photography forever. Documenting some of the most iconic and memorable moments of the 80's and 90's. This NYC photographer was a huge part of pop culture and help bring up some of the biggest names in hip hop and entertainment with a snap. He brought the candid approach to most of his unique and iconic photos. Capturing some of the biggest names in entertainment: Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Slick Rick, Method Man, Easy-E, Chris Walken, and Cindy Crawford (to name a few). Capturing moments on tour, and in unique settings. He is most known for his endless amount of work with the Beastie Boys. His work stacks up to over 10 years... he famously was the alleged 4th member of the iconic hip hop group.

 There are a lot of creators around the world that wouldn't be where they are today... if it wasn't for his impact on pop culture, photography and hip hop. Still doing it today, check out his interview with Frank 151 about his new series of NYC art. I also highly suggest to any art/photography enthusiasts to check out this Ricky Powell Art Show called "SNAP!" that Momentum Marketplace is throwing down:

Local Saskatoon photographers: Chad Coombs, Geoff Warrington, and 1 Take Photography will also be showcasing their work. Support your local!

#jussayin | Inspiring

Get inspired. Work hard. Be yourself, set no limitations. Enjoy:





I know I have already posted this video, but these three videos all work well together:



As our objectives and ideals grow, these sort of videos will help us out. Staying on track of what we want as a blog/brand, keeping it real and original.

Fresh Off The Press | Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager

Although similar in several ways, Kid Cudi's sophomore album Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr.Rager doesn't quite live up to his debut: Man on the Moon: End of Day. Like End of Day, MOTM 2 takes multiple listens to truely appreciate. Both albums are dark in nature, but the atmosphere in The Legend of Mr. Rager is much more downbeat and depressing.

End of Day showed Kid Cudi's best qualities as an artist: his ability to vent, his accessibility, and his ear for excellent beats. With The Legend of Mr.Rager, all these qualities are downplayed. Two problems I've always had with Cudi are his limited vocal abilities and his sometimes indecipherable mumble-rap. It wasn't a huge inconvenience in End of Day, but with The Legend of Mr. Rager, it's a chore to understand most of Cudi's poorly enunciated verses. This in turn ruined the accessibility of most of the songs; regardless of the music.

On the topic of the music, majority of the beats here aren't nearly as well-crafted as they were on his debut, which shined with production from the likes of Kanye West and Ratatat. Many of Emile's and Plain Pat's beats sound like leftovers from End of Day that weren't good enough to make the cut. The combination of boring beats and Kid Cudi's mumbling make for a sloppy album. That's not to say that all the songs are bad, it's just that many of them have the potential to be better, resulting in an inconsistent effort. Speaking of inconsistency, the album's breakout single: Erase Me, doesn't fit in with the album's tone at all, and it's inclusion on the album feels forced. Although Man on the Moon II fails to live up to Kid Cudi's ability, there are enough choice cuts t0 salvage the album from total disaster.

6/10

Choice Cuts:
Scott Mescudi Vs. The World ft. Cee-Lo Green
Don't Play This Song ft. Mary J. Blige
Mr. Rager
These Worries ft. Mary J. Blige
The End ft. GLC, Chip Tha Ripper, Nicole Wray
All Along
Trapped in My Mind

Fotography Fridays | Atiba Jefferson

When you think of Atiba Jefferson, you think of the best skateboard photographers of all-time. He has captured some of the most iconic and memorable moments in skateboarding, while making them look flawless. Maybe I was just a little too focused or uneducated? Little did I know,  he has worked with some of the biggest non-skateboarding brands in the world (Pepsi, ESPN, Adidas, and Nike ...too name a few). As well as, some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment (Kanye West, Lebron James, Shaun White, Eric Koston, Reggie Bush, and Snoop Dogg... too name a few). I find it mind boggling: that he finds enough time to share his art with so many different audiences. Still being the best at whatever he does, he is a natural behind the lens.

Not only does he spend time doing photography, some of his down time is spent skating and playing in The Goat & The Occasional Others. Check out some of my favorites: 

Andrew Reynolds// Frontside Flip// Vancouver "Go Skateboarding Day" 2009

This is probably one of my all time favorite skate photo's. Two beasts doing what they do best.

Paul Rodriguez Jr.

Basically the Michael Jordan of skateboarding. Have you seen his Plan B part?!

Allen Iverson// The Pursuit Of Happiness // SLAM Magazine Issue #107 

I actually have had this in my bedroom for three and a half years now, I was a huge Allen Iverson fan. I used to get a subscription to the magazine every year, I did not know Atiba took the photo. 

Kanye West

Lupe Fiasco

This is rad. I think this was around when 'Food & Liquor' was released. Before he became a household name.

Hollywood Fires

I want this in a frame.

Lake

Love the colours.

Fans in the desert

I was in Palm Springs in the summer, and there were a ridiculous amount of these.

This could be a movie poster or album art. So dope.

#jussayin | Maestro Knows: My Friend Benny Gold

All I can/want to say is: Stay true to yourself, your dreams, your heritage, and your brand. Never drift away from what got you where you started, grow with your true self. Never try to be something your not. Benny Gold is that kind of guy: genuine and real. Check out what he is all about:

#jussayin | Life As I Know It.

"This is it, life as I know it. It's funny cause noone else could have predicted this for me; not even myself. My dad used to always tell me "you get out of life, what you put in". I never really gave it my all until about 4 years ago. I think it takes about 5 years of constantly working at something, until you become good at it. If that's the case I'm right on time."

If you don't already know who Dom Kennedy is, I suggest you go listen to 'Future Street/Drug Sounds', '25th Hour' and 'Westside With Love'... over and over again; Until you finally understand that he is the 'now' in west-coast hip-hop; ... and the future of hip-hop. Strong words... but I will let the music make you believe so.

Check out Levi Maestro's newest creation capturing Dom Kennedy's feelings, stories and life as he knows it. Just be cool.

This video hit me it the right places. I just wanna be in his position in the future: doing what you are destined to do. I feel like I am in the right place, but "it takes about 5 years of constantly working at something, to become good at it"... I'm in no rush to perfection. Life is for learning, learn as you grow. ListenUp.